Napkin dispenser



May 21, 1963 E. F. HOHWART NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed July 3, 1961 INVENTOR.

ERA/375 Hal/" 14E7- BY p ATTORNEY United States Patent Oce 3,090,522Patented May 21, 1963 3,090,522 NAPKEJ DISPENSER Ernest F. Hohwart,19381 Sussex, Detroit, Mich. Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,393 1Claim. (Cl. 221-33) This invention relates to a holder and dispenserparticularly suitable for folded paper napkins.

Napkin holders and dispensers have been employed heretofore tofacilitate one at a time dispensation, however, the several devices ofthe prior art have not proven entirely satisfactory inasmuch as they arecomplicated in design and construction, expensive to manufacture,difiicult to use, and usually require a specially folded or adaptednapkin for use with the dispenser.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is toprovide a napkin dispenser which is simple in design and construction,inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and easy to dispense andrefill, and which does not require a specially folded or integratednapkin for use therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a napkin dispenser which can bemanufactured inexpensively as the component parts are easily made andthe assembly of the parts readily accomplished.

An object of the invention is to provide a napkin dispenser which can beused and operated with perfect ease by any user with any type napkin.

An object of the invention is to prow'de a napkin dispenser which willdispense the innermost napkin one at a time or any number of innermostnapkins at one time leaving the remaining napkins undisturbed and inproper position in the napkin holder box.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent byreference to the following description of a sheet or napkin dispenserembodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of the dispenser showing the internalconstruction in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken on.

the line 2-2 thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in cross-section, of the dispenserbox seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the construction in more detail.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a spring pressed rollermodification; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 ofFIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like andcorresponding parts throughout the several views, the dispenserdisclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises a box orcontainer having spaced opposed side walls 11 and 12 and a V-shapedbottom wall 13 forming a trough area between the side walls 11 and 12;the reversely turned or U-shaped napkins 1-4 are bent around the roller15 which holds the napkins down in position so that the abrasive orfriction means 16 on the bottom wall 13 engages the outer napkin and theroller 15 engages the inner napkin so that when the user grasps theinnermost napkin 17 and lifts upwardly thereon he lifts the roller 15rolling it relative to the innermost napkin 17 with the friction means16 holding the other napkins from sliding or rolling so that the roller15 releases the innermost napkin 17 individually and then immediatelyengages the next napkin for similar dispensing action.

More particularly box 10 comprises the walls described together with thepaired spaced end walls 18 and 19 which act as end stops for the napkins14 and roller 15 as well as cross supports for the box 10. Sand paperhas been found a suitable abrasive coating for the V- shaped bottom wall13, however, apertures, studs, and/or any other friction means may beemployed in this regard with suitable operational results.

Referring to the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 it will be noted that the leafspring 20 is riveted to the bottom 13 as at 21 and comprises twooutwardly paired arms 22 and 23 terminating upwardly in fingers 24 and25 respectively at either end of the box and the roller 26 is equippedwith axial pins 28 and 29 co-operating with the fingers 24 and 25 whichare equipped with slots 27 for mounting and dismounting the pinsrelative to the spring 20. -In the operation of this device, the springarms 22 and 23 pull downwardly on the roller 26 urging it against thenapkins '14 so as to hold the napkins in position and supply forcedfrictional connection between the napkins 14 and the bottom 13 and thespring 20 has suflicient flexibility to permit the user pulling upwardlyon the innermost napkin 17 to elevate the roller 26 to permit slidingengagement between the sheet 17 and the next sheet and rollingengagement with the roller 26.

It is to be noted in the device of FIGS. 1 through 3 that no spring isnecessary and that the roller 15 is a relatively heavy roller comparedto the roller 26 and acts with sufiicient pressure against the napkins14 and the bottom wall 13 through gravitational force. Metal or ceramicbars or tubes have been found suitable.

In filling, referring to the device of FIGS. 1 through 3, the usergrasps the cut ends 30 of the group of napkins and holds these ends inparallel alignment and wraps the napkins around the roller 15 whereuponthe folded ends 31 take on a staggered relationship due to thediiference in relative circumference around the axis of the roller 15thereby presenting the innermost napkin 17 as the uppermost readilygraspable napkin in the group. The user then merely places the napkinswith the roller inside them in the box or carton 10 and the device isready to operate.

In use, the user grasps the innermost napkin .17 and lifts upwardly soas to elevate the roller 15 from pressure against the remainder of thepack whereupon the innermost napkin 17 is free to slide relative to therest of the napkins and free to roll relative to the roller 15 whereuponthe innermost napkin 17 is easily extracted leaving the remainingnapkins undisturbed and immediately upon the innermost napkin beingextracted roller 15 re-engages the next innermost napkin for the nextoperation which is identical and this continues down to the very lastnapkin in the box in accurate repetition.

Referring to the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 it will be noted that theroller 26 may be manually uplifted on the spring 20 to insert thenapkins 1-4 below as illustrated in FIG. 4 or the user may slip the pins28 and 29 through the spring arm notches 27 and remove the roller sothat the roller and napkins may be inserted together whereupon the pins28 and 29 are slipped into the notches 27 of the arms 24 and 25 so thatthe spring 20 then drags downwardly on the roller 26 forcing the napkins14 into frictional engagement with the friction developing means on theV-shaped bottom wall 13. The operation of this device is the same aspreviously described inasmuch as the user lifts on the innermost napkin17 thereby elevating the roller 26 so that the innermost napkin 17 isfree to slide relative to the next napkin and free to roll relative tothe elevated roller 26 and immediately upon this napkin being extractedthe roller 26 immediately engages the next napkin via the pressureexerted on the roller in a downward direction by the spring 20.

The inventive device with the features described constitutes a compact,durable, protective, attractive, and neat appearing mechanism which iseasily operated to hold the napkins for immediate dispensation in a oneat a time repetitive order.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail together with one modification, it is obvious thatmany changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangement ofthe various elements of the invention within the scope of 5 the appendedclaim.

I claim: e

A sheet dispenser for dispensing sheets at least one at a time from apack of sheets comprising a box having substantially vertical side wallsand op- 4 of a pack of sheets exerting force radially through the sheetsengaging the sheets with the friction surface of said V-shaped bottomwall preventing the pack of sheets from moving relative to said box;manual lifting pull on one end of at least the innermost sheet,tensioning the pulled end of the sheet on a tangent relative to saidroller below the bearing radii of said roller thereby lifting saidroller out of bearing engagement and causing said roller to roll therebytransferring the tension of the manual pull to the positely angledangular bot-tom members leading downwardly and inwardly from said sidewalls toward one another and joining one another in a V- shaped bottomwall forming a trough having a bottom apex; said bottom members havingan upwardly facing friction surface;

other unpulled end of the sheet on a tangent of said roller; thetensioning pull on the sheet causing it to move away from the pack on atangent of said roller eliminating frictional engagement between thepulled sheet and the pack and relieving roller radial bearing force onthe pulled sheet relative to said roller, said box, and the pack;

said roller exerting force though the pack against said V-shaped bottomwall friction surface on radii of said roller as the pack diminishes assheets are manually pulled therefrom with the force radially exerted bysaid roller being directed normal to said angular bottom members formingsaid V-shaped bottom wall so that the relationship and action ispreserved from a full pack of sheets to the last sheet.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS aroller having a cylindrical periphery in said box lying in said troughbearing toward said bottom members friction surface; said rollerexerting force against each said bottom member in a narrow radialportion substantially normal to said bottom members friction surface atpoints spaced from said trough apex; said roller as so bearingconcentrating force in a small area to develop maximum friction pointsbetween said roller and said bottom members friction surface;

a pack of sheets of U-shaped configuration being positionable in saidbox under said roller; said pack having straight ends upstandingabutting said box side walls and an intermediate curved portion engaging427,918 Shafer May 13, 1890 said V-shaped bottom wall friction surfaceat rela- 648,603 Whitehead May 1, 1900 tively small area high frictiontangential locations; 663,726 Carlen Dec. 11, 1900 2,150,998 WarshawMar. 21, 1939 said roller lying in the intermediate curved portion

